​Condemning State Violence Against People in Iran and Supporting a Democratic Transition

We, the undersigned members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the Iranian diaspora, speak out in solidarity with the people of Iran, in particular members of the LGBTQ+ community, subjected to state violence, repression, and killing by the theocratic Islamic Republic regime in Iran.

The 2022 uprising, under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," articulated a collective demand for dignity, bodily autonomy, and freedom from state-imposed control over bodies, identities, and lives. This uprising exposed the structural and ideological foundations of gender- and sexuality-based oppression in Iran and laid the groundwork for an ongoing movement seeking to dismantle system of gender and sexual apartheid embedded in the current political order and to build a free and democratic society—one in which all people, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or belief, are equal before the law.

As LGBTQ+ people, we reject silence in the face of injustice. The criminalization of same-sex relations, the persecution of transgender and gender-nonconforming people, and the use of sexual violence, imprisonment, torture, and execution as tools of intimidation constitute grave violations of human rights that demand unequivocal condemnation.

We therefore:

1. Unequivocally condemn the widespread killing of protesters and the systematic repression carried out by the Islamic Republic regime of Iran, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, executions, and the denial of due process.

2. Stand in solidarity with the Iranian people—especially LGBTQ+ individuals and others subjected to gender-based violence, compulsory heteronormativity, and patriarchal authoritarian rule; with those killed, imprisoned, or disappeared and their families; and with all who continue to resist oppression at grave personal risk.

3. Call on LGBTQ+ movements, organizations, and human-rights institutions worldwide to move beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete action in support of:

- accountability for crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups;

- protection pathways and emergency support for at-risk activists, queer individuals, and human-rights defenders; and

- the institutional isolation of state bodies responsible for gender- and sexuality-based persecution and violence.

4. Recognizing the urgent need for a credible and peaceful transition away from authoritarian rule, we further express our support for Reza Pahlavi as a transitional leader who has publicly committed to:

- a secular political order guaranteeing full legal equality regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or belief;

- the abolition of all laws enforcing gender and sexual discrimination;

- the territorial integrity of Iran;

- free and fair elections determined solely by the Iranian people; and

- a transitional process grounded in justice, accountability, and the rule of law.

This support is grounded in a commitment to transparency, pluralism, and continued accountability to the Iranian people throughout the transitional process. It does not pre-empt the will of the Iranian people, nor does it negate the plurality of democratic visions for Iran’s future. Rather, it reflects the urgent need for a unifying and internationally credible figure capable of facilitating a peaceful transition and creating the conditions in which LGBTQ+ people, and all marginalized communities, can freely shape their political destiny.

Signed in defence of bodily autonomy, sexual and gender freedom, and the future of Iran. Silence in the face of state violence against people is incompatible with queer dignity, democratic principles, and human responsibility.

LGBTQ+ Members and Allies of the Iranian Diaspora